Beyond the PlateauReally learning a languagehttp://loogla.com/Blog/
http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationBlogEngine.NET 1.6.0.0en-UShttp://loogla.com/Blog/opml.axdhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/LanguageBeyondThePlateau?format=xmlTyler UlrichBeyond the Plateau0.0000000.000000Spanish Language Precision: Preguntar<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>
<p>Being precise with your Spanish is one of the many small things you can do to improve your understanding. Achieving a better grasp of the subtle meanings behind everyday words is a great place to start, and it can really maximize your ability to gain more out of poetry, songs, movies, and literature.</p>
<p>Preguntar is a very common word in Spanish, but what exactly does its meaning encompass? Where can it really be used effectively, and when is it better to find another word instead?</p>
<p>Preguntar means loosely &quot;to ask&quot;, but the underlying meaning is &quot;to ask a question&quot; or &quot;to ask about something&quot;. In the case of &quot;Le pregunto la hora&quot; preguntar functions quite nicely. But what about asking for forgiveness? Asking someone to come to dinner? These are two cases where preguntar will not suffice.</p>
<img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2012%2f10%2fosho_frases_perdonar_perdon.jpg" alt="" /><p>So what should you use in those cases?</p>
<p>For starters, let’s look at our options. Pedir also means &quot;to ask&quot;, but in a way that suggests you are asking for something. Invitar means to ask but is a cognate with English &quot;to invite&quot;.</p>
<p>So in the cases above, you could use pedir when asking for something like forgiveness, and invitar for asking someone over to dinner: pido perdón; le invito a mi casa.</p>
<p>When looking at a poem such as &quot;<a href="http://www.neruda.uchile.cl/obra/obraestravagario1.html" target="_blank">Pido silencio</a>&quot; by Pablo Neruda, knowing that he is not asking silence a question and that he is asking for silence will help you understand the basic meaning of the poem. But on a deeper level, you can also make the distinction that he is not begging for silence (in which case he would have used rogar) but simply and calmly asking for it.</p>
<p>In a song by Edgar Lira called &quot;<a href="http://www.lyricstime.com/edgar-lira-yo-le-pregunto-lyrics.html" target="_blank">Yo le pregunto</a>&quot;, knowing that preguntar implies asking a question can really help your understanding of the lyrics:</p>
<p>Yo le pregunto a la historia quién fue aquel<br/>
Que partió el tiempo en donde estoy<br/>
El antes y después de él<br/>
Si dice que no existió<br/>
Yo le pregunto a la psicología<br/>
Si me puede explicar<br/>
Como doce hombres sin valor<br/>
Cambiaron de una forma radical<br/>
Después que resucitó
</p>
<p>Knowing that preguntar means to ask a question, we can understand that he is asking &quot;history&quot; and asking &quot;psychology&quot; for answers to questions.</p>
<p>Working on your language precision is one of the best ways to get you closer to fluency, and it can be a very rewarding process as your abilities increase. </p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Spanish-Language-Precision-Preguntar.aspx
kogilviehttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/Spanish-Language-Precision-Preguntar.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=daaf6ae6-a45c-4711-bf87-19f95a4ff4bbSun, 28 Oct 2012 05:58:00 +0900kogilviehttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=daaf6ae6-a45c-4711-bf87-19f95a4ff4bb0http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=daaf6ae6-a45c-4711-bf87-19f95a4ff4bbhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/Spanish-Language-Precision-Preguntar.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=daaf6ae6-a45c-4711-bf87-19f95a4ff4bbTienes hambre? Subtle differences can really affect meaning.<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p>We&acute;re back for another installment of Misunderstanding Mondays.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In Santiago there is a popular destination called <em>Mercado Central</em>.&nbsp; It&acute;s a beautiful old factory-type building that has been converted into an open-air den of seafood restaurants with fish mongers and vegetable stands along the periphery.&nbsp; Because there are so many restaurants, competition is fierce and each one tends to employ one or more agressive head waiters who duke it out with each other to win diners in their chairs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A foreign exchange student with basic Spanish skills, we&acute;ll call her Liz, went to the picturesque <em>mercado</em> to take some photos.&nbsp; She was approached a few times but told the buzzing waiters that she wasn&acute;t hungry and just wanted to take some photographs.&nbsp; Much to her consternation, more and more men continued to approach her, asking her to their restaurant and talking to her, but she kept trying to brush them off, insisting that she wasn&acute;t hungry.&nbsp; They KEPT coming, and kept coming, in spite of her increasing annoyance and insistance that she didn&acute;t want any food and was only there to take pictures.&nbsp; By the end of 20 minutes she was so frustrated she just started yelling at all of them, and eventually had to give up on taking photos and stormed out.</p>
<p>The following week she relayed this story to her Spanish teacher and was asking whether it was a cultural thing that these men just wouldn&acute;t leave her alone.&nbsp; Turns out when she tried to brush them off what she thought she was yelling, "no tengo hambre" turned out to be "no tengo hombre"!&nbsp; Whoops!&nbsp; Apparently there were a lot of takers, and Liz was blushing for a week thinking of herself in the middle of the market yelling, "I don&acute;t have a man!!&nbsp; All I want is to take pictures!" This lessons serves to not only mind our p&acute;s and q&acute;s, but our a&acute;s and o&acute;s as well.&nbsp; Do you have a story about trying to communicate when learning a language, but doing so badly or to an unintended but humorous effect?&nbsp; Write to jenpeck@loogla.com and we&acute;ll publish it.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Suerte, chicos!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2012%2f4%2ffoodman.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>(Whether you &acute;tiene hambre&acute; or &acute;quiere hombre&acute; will determine which you see in this photo.)</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Tienes-hambre-How-subtle-differences-can-really-change-meaning.aspx
jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/Tienes-hambre-How-subtle-differences-can-really-change-meaning.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=b373120f-373c-4b0e-aedc-7d7f99dba672Tue, 01 May 2012 02:04:00 +0900jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=b373120f-373c-4b0e-aedc-7d7f99dba672328http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=b373120f-373c-4b0e-aedc-7d7f99dba672http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Tienes-hambre-How-subtle-differences-can-really-change-meaning.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=b373120f-373c-4b0e-aedc-7d7f99dba672La hiprocesía sigue<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p>Here's a great example of "hipocres&iacute;a" and "contradicci&oacute;n" in action from the Argentine governement. Both of these words are considered cognates and are easy words to learn since they're a simple shift from their english versions 'hipocracy' and 'contradiction'.</p>
<p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2012%2f4%2fBoudou.png" alt="" width="476" height="238" /></p>
<p>These two cognates in particular are relevent in this case because the Argentine goverment has put a ban on importations (of books, electronics, etc.), making it exceedingly expensive to buy and maintain electronics within Argentina, yet Vice President Amado Boudou has tweeted this concerned and sympathetic message to the people with his imported iphone.</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/La-hiprocesia-siga.aspx
jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/La-hiprocesia-siga.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=f5b3b266-d484-4108-b976-d92748930377Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:08:00 +0900jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=f5b3b266-d484-4108-b976-d92748930377374http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=f5b3b266-d484-4108-b976-d92748930377http://loogla.com/Blog/post/La-hiprocesia-siga.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=f5b3b266-d484-4108-b976-d92748930377Beneficios de la bicicleta<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p>There is a growing love for riding a bicycle in the world, and with increasing congestion on the roads and air pollution, it's easy to see why!&nbsp; Practice your spanish with some more reasons to love your bike!</p>
<p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2012%2f3%2fbeneficios-de-la-bicicleta-1.jpeg" alt="" width="512" height="336" /></p>
<p>Todos son buenos, pero "Sientes como que vuelas" es mi raz&oacute;n favorito.&nbsp; No olvides tu casco!</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Beneficios-de-la-bicicleta.aspx
jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/Beneficios-de-la-bicicleta.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=327a383e-f8e3-471a-a2bf-91344d7a7041Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:37:00 +0900jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=327a383e-f8e3-471a-a2bf-91344d7a7041382http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=327a383e-f8e3-471a-a2bf-91344d7a7041http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Beneficios-de-la-bicicleta.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=327a383e-f8e3-471a-a2bf-91344d7a7041What a difference one letter makes<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p><span class="hasCaption">Pay attention to spelling, as sometimes one letter can make all the difference! This fabulous play on words is the name of a mattress store in Bariloche, Argentina.</span></p>
<p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2012%2f3%2flacolchadetumadre.jpg" alt="" width="494" height="334" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La colcha de tu madre... Get it??</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/What-a-difference-one-letter-m-akes.aspx
jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/What-a-difference-one-letter-m-akes.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=95702746-f4d7-4699-b8af-8982f5e9e22cThu, 29 Mar 2012 22:25:00 +0900jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=95702746-f4d7-4699-b8af-8982f5e9e22c247http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=95702746-f4d7-4699-b8af-8982f5e9e22chttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/What-a-difference-one-letter-m-akes.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=95702746-f4d7-4699-b8af-8982f5e9e22cNos gustan mucho los preservativos!<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p>Misunderstandings and miscommunications when learning #Spanish are all too common.&nbsp; Because in Spanish there are lots of words that are cognates of words in English (such as proposition = proposici&oacute;n), plus there's the simple (funny, lazy) habit of many English speakers to put an 'o' at the end of a Spanish word.&nbsp; Here's a funny story thanks to Angela Seita:</p>
<p><em>So one day I was talking with the 70 something year old woman, Gladys, I was living with about food in America.&nbsp; I said something along the lines of "Comemos muchos preservativos en Estados Unidos". Her jaw dropped and she about keeled over from a heart attack. I went on to explain "it's not fresh". Little did I know that "preservativos" meant condoms in Argentina so I was basically telling her we eat a lot of rubbers!"</em></p>
<p>If Angela had used the word "conservantes" instead of "preservativos" ol' Gladys wouldn't have batted an eye.&nbsp; Have you ever had a miscommunication in another language?&nbsp; If you want to share or have your story featured, please send an email to jenpeck@loogla.com and we'll publish it!</p>
<p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2012%2f2%2fsurfrider-condom.jpg" alt="" /></p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Nos-gustan-mucho-los-preservativos!.aspx
jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/Nos-gustan-mucho-los-preservativos!.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=7aaffe55-b9c2-4e59-acb1-f6b6e000c412Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:44:00 +0900jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=7aaffe55-b9c2-4e59-acb1-f6b6e000c412533http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=7aaffe55-b9c2-4e59-acb1-f6b6e000c412http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Nos-gustan-mucho-los-preservativos!.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=7aaffe55-b9c2-4e59-acb1-f6b6e000c412Regional dialects<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">If you&rsquo;re thinking&nbsp; of traveling somewhere to do an immersion course in Spanish, one of the key things to think about is the predominant accent spoken inyour preferred destination.&nbsp; Argentina is a popular place to come and take classes, largely because Buenos Aires is a bustling city with thriving arts culture, famous parillas and fabulous ice cream, and of course the lure of the tango (which helps work off the extra calories).&nbsp; But one thing that isn&rsquo;t usually a consideration when choosing Argentina is the accent!&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">It&rsquo;s very helpful &nbsp;to know, and something to consider, that when you come to Argentina that the people in Buenos Aires speak what they consider <em>Rio Platense Castellano&nbsp;</em>and their most definite peculiarity in pronunciation where the double l (<em>ll</em>) is pronounced as a &ldquo;shh&rdquo; sound instead with a soft <em>a </em>rather than the &ldquo;yuh&rdquo; sound used in so many other latin cultures, and even outside of Buenos Aires.&nbsp; For example, <em>lluvia</em>, the word for rain, is pronounced &lsquo;shoe-via&rsquo;.&nbsp; <em>Pollo</em> is &lsquo;po-sho&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;poy-o&rsquo;.&nbsp; If you can incorporate the &ldquo;shh&rdquo; into your accent in Buenos Aires (and try to drop a <em>che</em> or two) you&rsquo;ll be quick on the path to earning points with the locals. &nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2011%2f12%2festan-mintiendo+(Small)+(Custom).jpg" alt="" /></p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Regional-dialects-are-something-to-consider.aspx
jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/Regional-dialects-are-something-to-consider.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=654fa539-94bf-4d18-bd32-0755960c9752Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:27:00 +0900jpeckhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=654fa539-94bf-4d18-bd32-0755960c9752183http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=654fa539-94bf-4d18-bd32-0755960c9752http://loogla.com/Blog/post/Regional-dialects-are-something-to-consider.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=654fa539-94bf-4d18-bd32-0755960c9752The Bilingual Bonus<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2011%2f11%2fHobo-and-Dog.jpg" alt="Hobo" width="300" /></p>
<p>I&rsquo;m sure you don&rsquo;t need to be reminded that we are in tough economic times. &nbsp;While most of us haven&rsquo;t been reduced to hopping trains in patched up clothing in search of handouts, unemployment is at an all time high and smart job-seekers are finding ways to make themselves more appealing to prospective employers. &nbsp;Becoming bilingual, really bilingual, is one of the surest ways to improve your chances of finding, keeping and advancing in your career.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many organizations are not only actively seeking bilingual employees; they are sponsoring employee training programs to improve their skills in the office. &nbsp;This is especially true in government. &nbsp;Unsurprisingly states with large Hispanic populations such as Texas are offering incentive programs like one in Dallas offering stipends of $110 to $150 a month extra for city employees speaking both English and advanced Spanish. &nbsp;San Antonio pays an extra $50 a month if using Spanish helps them perform their duties. &nbsp;The trend is growing fastest in regions traditionally less interested in promoting bilingualism. &nbsp;Maryland police officers may receive between $1000 and $4000 a year extra for their Spanish skills and state employees in Washington can often expect a pay boost of at least 5%.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Regardless of geography or industry, studies show that bilinguals are not only more employable and out earn their counterparts, they may <strong>live longer and have better mental longevity</strong>. &nbsp;Children who grow up speaking more than one language get higher grades. &nbsp;You don&rsquo;t need to be born bilingual to reap all these benefits either. &nbsp;An adult learner may never be mistaken for a native, but he can effectively learn a language with the right guidance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even if you&rsquo;re gainfully employed in the job of your dreams, mastering a second language may be the best gift you&rsquo;ve ever given yourself. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sources:</p>
<p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3236188.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3236188.stm</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3794479.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3794479.stm</a><strong></strong></p>
</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Bilingual-Bonus.aspx
Tylerhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Bilingual-Bonus.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=3cebfb72-5a9f-48b3-b4a6-3ceb04ff769eTue, 15 Nov 2011 05:27:00 +0900Tylerhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=3cebfb72-5a9f-48b3-b4a6-3ceb04ff769e363http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=3cebfb72-5a9f-48b3-b4a6-3ceb04ff769ehttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Bilingual-Bonus.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=3cebfb72-5a9f-48b3-b4a6-3ceb04ff769eThe Phrase "al pelo"<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p><img src="http://loogla.com/Blog/image.axd?picture=2011%2f10%2fbareback.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>There's nothing more fundamental in learning a new language than the greeting. &nbsp;"C&oacute;mo est&aacute;s" and "Muy bien" can be found in the first few pages of just about any Spanish textbook. &nbsp;But what about when you've outgrown "todo bien"? &nbsp;There are a limitless number of common responses you might give such as "todo tranqui(lo)" or "todo en orden". &nbsp;Here's another you might not have heard before: Al pelo (literally "bareback").</p>
<p>Like most phrases the seem to make little sense at first glance, "al pelo" has an interesting back story. &nbsp;During the time of the Spanish colonial rebellion, especially in the area of Columbia and Venezuela, the resistance forces were severely under equipped. &nbsp;They would often steal or raise horses to be used in battle, but they lacked the resources for saddles. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Only the generals had mounts and the common cavalry were often bareback. &nbsp;After a time, the phase "al pelo" came to mean heroism in the face of limited means. &nbsp;When askes how a journey was, one might reply "al pelo" to means they face obstacles but came out unscathed. &nbsp;Eventually the phrase became synonymous with strength, health and valor. &nbsp;Today "al pelo" means fantastic when referring to oneself.</p>
<p>So the next time someone asks you how you are in Spanish and you're feelign on top of the world, you might tell them, "Al pelo"!</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Phrase-al-pelo.aspx
Tylerhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Phrase-al-pelo.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=c834a83e-b23e-44a8-b487-7bb67f11426aFri, 21 Oct 2011 23:52:00 +0900Spanish TipsTylerhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=c834a83e-b23e-44a8-b487-7bb67f11426a142http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=c834a83e-b23e-44a8-b487-7bb67f11426ahttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Phrase-al-pelo.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=c834a83e-b23e-44a8-b487-7bb67f11426aThe Context-Sensitive Subjunctive<div id="AdnTop"><div class="AdnTopLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnTopRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><p>As you probably know, one of the most confusing concepts for an "anglo-parlante" to master in Spanish is the subjunctive mood. &nbsp;The subject is usually introduced by learning a series of introductory verbs and phrases or grammatical structures that usually take the subjunctive. &nbsp;The classic example is expressing desire as in &ldquo;Quiero que vengas aqu&iacute;&rdquo;. &nbsp;That&rsquo;s all good and fine as long as long as life follows the rules, but language is a living, mutable thing and context can be everything.</p>
<p>Take the following sentence:<br /><em>Digo que mi madre [ser] buena.<br /></em>How would you conjugate &ldquo;ser&rdquo; in this sentence? &nbsp;Es or sea? &nbsp;</p>
<p>The answer is that it depends on what you mean!</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s take the first possibility. <em>Digo que mi madre <strong>es </strong>buena.</em> &nbsp;What you&rsquo;re saying in this instance is that your mom IS good (most are), something you&rsquo;d do well to remember tomorrow if you live in Argentina where the third Thursday in October is Mother&rsquo;s Day or &ldquo;D&iacute;a de la Madre&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Now let&rsquo;s take the second case and put ser in the subjunctive. &nbsp;<em>Digo que mi madre <strong>sea </strong>buena.</em> &nbsp;Now you&rsquo;re saying that you WANT her to BE good.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a subtle but important difference.</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s try with a few other verbs that might be either indicative or subjunctive.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">indicar:</span><br />Indico que <strong>completa </strong>este ejercicio. &nbsp;&ndash; ask you to complete an exercise<br />Indico que <strong>complete </strong>este ejercicio. &nbsp; &ndash; state that you are completing an exercise</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">quejarse:</span><br />Los porte&ntilde;os se quejan de que no <strong>hay </strong>luz. &nbsp;-- &nbsp;The power is out.<br />Los porte&ntilde;os se quejan de que no <strong>haya </strong>cortes de luz en pleno. &nbsp;-- Not currently a loss of electricity. &nbsp;Projecting in the future eventually repeats.) Imagined time in the future, for example in Winter, might be imagining what will happen in the summer when all the air conditioners kick in.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">recordarse:</span><br />Le recuerdo que siempre <strong>hace </strong>bien la tarea. -- &nbsp;declaration that something is happening<br />Le recuerdo que siempre <strong>haga </strong>bien la tarea. -- &nbsp;is a demando or a request</p><div id="AdnBottom"><div class="AdnBottomLeft" style="float:left"></div><div class="AdnBottomRight" style="float:right"></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div>http://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Slippery-Subjunctive.aspx
Tylerhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Slippery-Subjunctive.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=d2118c9f-764c-485a-b708-2bfbdf117aceSun, 16 Oct 2011 01:12:00 +0900Spanish TipsTylerhttp://loogla.com/Blog/pingback.axdhttp://loogla.com/Blog/post.aspx?id=d2118c9f-764c-485a-b708-2bfbdf117ace253http://loogla.com/Blog/trackback.axd?id=d2118c9f-764c-485a-b708-2bfbdf117acehttp://loogla.com/Blog/post/The-Slippery-Subjunctive.aspx#commenthttp://loogla.com/Blog/syndication.axd?post=d2118c9f-764c-485a-b708-2bfbdf117ace